Wellington The Magazine-August 2016
Susan Rubin Of Beyond The Barn Specializes In Equestrian Design Services
By Julie Unger
Susan Rubin of Beyond the Barn Decor Services is not new to the Wellington community. In fact, she isn’t new to the equestrian community, either.
“I am a lifelong equestrian. As a little girl, I used to dream of living in a place where people rode horses, walked around in their britches, and there were paddocks and barns everywhere. It was a fulfillment of a dream to move to Wellington in 1999 and open up a business,” she said.
While she focuses on her décor services nowadays, Rubin also once ran a store called Beyond the Barn. The store catered to equestrians through a unique collection of gifts and home furnishings, all with an equestrian theme. In one corner, she did design and decorating. That niche is now her primary business.
Yet Rubin isn’t someone who just fell into the design business. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and has continued her education through multiple design courses. “I really love working with people to help them nest in their homes,” she said.
As an equestrian — dressage, specifically — Rubin understands the equestrian lifestyle and all the aspects that go along with it, from early-morning risings to having somewhere to relax between barn work.
Many in the community know Rubin from Beyond the Barn, but her design work goes much deeper than equestrian furnishings and accessories.
“I’m more of a relationship decorator. I get to know who my client is and what they want to reflect in their home,” she explained.
Often, interior decorators have a specific style. The homes Rubin decorates, she said, have an air of casual elegance and truly reflect the story of the life, interests, collections and trips of the owner, in an easy, balanced manner.
“I think everyone’s home should tell a story, and it should be a reflection of who you are,” she said.
Rubin works with her clients to find something they truly love, and often will go shopping with them, so an entire room can be designed around a piece that speaks to the owners.
“The whole process is really great,” she said. “A great part at a job is at the very beginning, when you walk into a room listening to the client say they don’t like this, or they like that; what they’re dreaming of or what they want to have. The whole slate is empty. There’s nothing on the drawing board, and the wheels start turning.”
Rubin describes the process as a jigsaw puzzle, combining items the client already has, or truly adores, and adding different items to bring everything together.
“Figuring it all out, that’s a favorite part,” she said.
Production and installation aren’t like they are on television, she explained, because you never know what might happen. Unforeseen complications can always alter the schedule.
“My favorite part is having it done, having it clean-pressed and ready, and having the client show up and doing the reveal,” Rubin said.
Rubin has an extensive network of subcontractors she works with that she has found over the years and vetted — people she trusts to maintain the privacy of her clients.
Havensafe Farm in Wellington, just one of Rubin’s many projects, originally started with a tack room and expanded to the house, additions to the house, landscaping, a covered arena and more since 2008.
Rubin provides concierge services for her clients where she works every step of the way with the owner. She can even create a certain ambiance for parties and enjoys finding special items.
One item she is proud of finding is a set of elegant heat lamps that don’t look like heat lamps, don’t make noise and still provide heat for the client. She has renovated a 1920s chandelier, wired it and found candle-like bulbs to make it a part of the home with an Old World look.
“I offer full service. I will bring pattern selections, things as needed, right to the client’s home. We will do site trips, as needed, to customize it as much to what the client needs,” Rubin said.
Whether it is renovating a barn, a room, a bathroom, or some combination, the sky is the limit, because Rubin can do it all. She isn’t just an interior designer.
“I like to think of myself truly as beyond,” she said.
Though many of Rubin’s clients prefer privacy, she was able to share a few: Betsy Juliano’s Havensafe Farm, author Tammy Hoag, June Brody, the original Two Swans Farm for Carol Cohen, Hope Greenfield and more. She has worked in the Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club, the Aero Club and more.
“What I’m most grateful about is the repeat business, the continued trust, the referrals,” Rubin said. “That brings a lot of joy to my life, that I know I am making a difference in someone’s life and they’re entrusting me to other people and saying, ‘Hey, you need to give her a call.’”
For more information about Beyond the Barn Decor Services, call Susan Rubin at (561) 333-5255.
